1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including a plurality of imaging units, each of which can output, as pixel information, an electric signal after photoelectric conversion from a pixel arbitrarily designated as a reading target out of a plurality of pixels for imaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a medical field, endoscope systems are used when the inside of organs of subjects is observed. Generally, the endoscope system is one type of imaging apparatus capturing an in-vivo image by inserting a flexible insertion portion forming a lengthy thin shape into a body cavity of a subject such as a patient, emitting white light onto a body tissue of the inside of the body cavity through the inserted insertion portion, and receiving reflective light using an imaging unit arranged in the distal end of the insertion portion. An image signal of the body image captured as above is transmitted to an image processing apparatus arranged outside the body through a transmission cable disposed inside the insertion portion, image processing is performed for the body image by the image processing apparatus, and the processed image is displayed on a monitor of the endoscope system. A user such as a doctor observes the inside of the body cavity through the in-vivo image displayed on the monitor.
As an imaging apparatus including an endoscope system, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-130570, a configuration has been proposed in which two imaging units are arranged, two transmission paths and two image processing units are arranged in correspondence with the imaging units, and images captured by the imaging units can be simultaneously displayed. In addition, as an imaging apparatus including an endoscope system, a configuration has been proposed in which a switching mechanism or an adjustment mechanism of imaging optical systems and filters is arranged, and a color image and another image are acquired using one imaging device.